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THBLuristan Bronze Whetstone Finial w/ Whetstone
Lot 82
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,000 - $3,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Sep 27, 2018
Set Reminder
2018-09-27 10:00:00
2018-09-27 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/antiquities-asian-ethnographic-3469
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (390)
- Lot Description
Ancient Near East, northwestern Iran, Luristan, ca. 1000 to 700 BCE. A cast-bronze whetstone finial handle depicting a graceful ibex in a leaping motion. The animal has a slender body with both front legs tucked underneath, and an elongated neck curving gently and extending upwards to a small group of ringed collars. Circular eyes, a conical mouth with thin, parted lips, two perky ears, and a small goatee comprise the stylized head, and just imagine the enormous pair of conjoined, trifurcated horns which would have been used as a gripping point or perhaps a large suspension loop. The original bar-shaped whetstone still resides in its housing, the edges having been worn smooth and the sides abraded from use. The handle is enveloped in a sumptuous emerald-green patina, making this a fabulous example from the ancient Near East! Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 8.75" L x 4.5" H (22.2 cm x 11.4 cm); 10.5" H (26.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Ordinary soldiers and people who would carry a knife to use as a weapon would carry a whetstone to sharpen the knife. However, an elite member of the community would have a special finial or handle like this example fitted to the whetstone. The ibex was an astronomical symbol of great importance from the earliest Near Eastern civilizations; some have suggested that it was at one time more important in Near Eastern iconography than the bull. What's more, some scholars have theorized that the animals depicted on Luristan weaponry were believed to possess apotropaic properties and could bestow their power on the objects they were sharpening.
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
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#133022Surface wear to handle and whetstone commensurate with age and use as expected, fading to some handle details, slight bending to horns, and wear to edges and tip of whetstone, otherwise intact and excellent. Beautiful green patina across handle, and nice earthen deposits throughout.Condition
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